Wareham cast pays tribute to '60s hitmaker

Most people won't recognize her name, but you'll certainly recognize her music, chart-topping songs like "Leader of the Pack," "Be My Baby," "Chapel of Love," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "River Deep Mountain High," "Then He Kissed Me" and so many others, that literally defined the musical pulse of the '60s.

Comment

By Lorraine Lucciola

southcoasttoday.com

By Lorraine Lucciola

Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Lorraine Lucciola

Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

Most people won't recognize her name, but you'll certainly recognize her music, chart-topping songs like "Leader of the Pack," "Be My Baby," "Chapel of Love," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "River Deep Mountain High," "Then He Kissed Me" and so many others, that literally defined the musical pulse of the '60s.

She was Ellie Greenwich (1940-2009), one of the most prolific songwriters of her time, whose lyrics and musical arrangements gave voice to the distinct emotions of teen romance.

She is mostly known for her collaborations with record producer Phil Spector, and his signature "Wall of Sound" — the dense, layered, reverberant sound, studio-produced by the use of an echo chamber — in addition to becoming one of the first female record producers in the industry.

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys called her "the best melody writer of all time" and the career of a struggling Neil Diamond took off after he worked with Greenwich and her husband, Jeff Barry, who crafted Diamond's early hits of "Cherry Cherry," "Solitary Man" and "Kentucky Woman."

The Viking Theater Company of Wareham High School is offering a musical revue based on Greenwich's outstanding career. "Leader of the Pack" opens this evening and continues through Saturday. The show's book is by Anne Beatts, with music and lyrics by "Ellie Greenwich and Friends," as stated in its original 1985 Broadway Playbill. (Greenwich played herself in the show's Broadway debut.)

Theater company director Don Bliss says "Leader of the Pack," written by Greenwich's close friends, depicts her dramatic life through song and dance, "with musical direction by Jason Newell and choreography by Kimmy Marsh in our production.

"I've got so many quality performers — great voices and fun kids — that I wanted to introduce to a genre of music that was upbeat and far more innocent than the themes of the music they listen to today. Because this piece relies upon popular music of its day, and not music written for the theater, the tunes are much more memorable, and certainly more danceable," adds Bliss.

Michaela Bottino plays Ellie Greenwich. "This show is my first lead," says Michaela, "and I feel like I can relate to this character on a more personal level because I, too, have fears of loving something so much it gets in the way of reality."

Kim Barboza plays singer Darlene Love. "The music in this show is much more contemporary than those that we have done in the past. This show is upbeat and uplifting, an homage to early '60s music as well as an insight into Ellie Greenwich's life. As Darlene, I get to introduce the audience to the show — with one of the sassiest numbers I've ever gotten to perform," notes Kim.

Gus Sharkey, according to some, launched Ellie's career. G. Allen Perry plays this pivotal character in the show. "These are real people we are portraying "¦ and we are performing songs that weren't made for the stage, so we are putting our own twists on it to fit the storyline. By what I have heard, Ellie loved theater and I am glad that we are making a production dedicated to her whole career. In my view, she changed the world of music," he says.

Patti Parecy is played by Kiah Heron. "This play is different because it's actually based on a true story and I've never acted in a play like that before. The most gratifying part of this musical is that these were actual songs that were on the radio and it's cool that we get to tell a story using these songs and portraying someone's life," says Kiah.

Quinn Staley, who plays Annie Golden, is appearing in her first musical. "Learning how to dance and control my voice has been a challenge, but rewarding," says Quinn. "The most gratifying part of this show is working to portray songs that you know are based on someone's actual experiences and feelings and trying to capture that moment."

The Viking Theater Company of Wareham High School, 7 Viking Drive, presents "Leader of the Pack" at 7 tonight through Saturday. Tickets at the door are $12; $10 for students and senior citizens. Children under 6 are admitted free. For information, log on to www.vikingtheater.info